Overall coupon redemption declined in 2017 as CPG companies increased their emphasis on the digital space, according to NCH Marketing Services, a subsidiary of coupon delivery group Valassis. The shift to digital coupons was strong in 2017, but those are still far outpaced by paper coupons, according to the company.

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H.E. Butt Grocery and its Central Market banner are rolling out curbside delivery to its stores across Texas that don't yet have the service, including stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The grocer will train employees to select the proper products and will allow shoppers to specify such details as the ripeness of selected produce, the company said.

Delivery companies are struggling with a shortage of trained truck drivers, with the grocery sector already feeling the pinch in some places, according to Rod Suarez, an economic analyst with the American Trucking Associations. Freight costs continue to rise and get passed along to consumers, Tyson Foods President and CEO Thomas Hayes told investors.

Independent grocers can borrow successful moves from the major retailers, including getting ahead of big seasonal events to create sales momentum, Siobhan Scott writes. Making in-store visits more of a destination experience also helps by making the trip to shop more desirable in a time of online competition, she writes.

Chinese online retailer Alibaba continues to acquire companies, and a rumored partnership with Kroger makes some sense, Ely Razin of CrediFi writes. Alibaba has invested in other overseas grocers, and Kroger would give it an immediate, huge US warehouse network, he writes.

Coupon use is increasing, according to NCH Marketing Services, with double-digit growth of digital distribution and redemption, through free-standing inserts still command 91.1% of the market. "For marketers, it’s about finding the right media mix and defining the coupon characteristics to both activate consumers and still drive ROI for their brand,” said Suzie Brown, executive vice president, sales and marketing, for parent company Valassis.